An appeal's court in Ho Chi Minh City took mercy on a South Korean national who killed a woman while driving drunk.

Shin Jong Soo, a 55-year-old environmental engineer, had his sentence reduced from three to one year in prison on December 4, Dat Viet newspaper reported.

The victim’s family members and officials from the South Korean Consulate attended his hearing to advocate on his behalf.

Shin and his interpreter burst into tears during the statement he made before the reading of the verdict, according to Dat Viet.

He asked for forgiveness from the victim's family and leniency from the court.

“I wish to continue to work in Vietnam,” he said.

The panel of judges agreed to his appeal, citing the fact that he had paid the family the court-ordered compensations of VND480 million (US$22,520) and his company has promised to provide the victim’s child VND10 million ($470) a year until he or she reaches the age of 18.

Shin turned to the victim’s family, clasped his hands together and thanked them after the verdict was read.

Shin arrived last April to work for a branch of South Korean monosodium glutamate (MSG) maker Miwon in the southern province of Tay Ninh.

On April 22, he was asked to drive a car carrying the branch’s director and two Korean experts to a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City's neighbor province of Binh Duong.

The three drank rice wine at the restaurant and only left at 7:40 p.m.

The director had offered to drive the car seeing that Shin was drunk, but he refused.

At that point, he lost control of the vehicle and hit Le Thi Ut, who was sitting on her parked motorbike on the sidewalk.

The car dragged Ut and her motorbike for a while. Ut quickly died from cerebral trauma.

Shin was arrested immediately.

A court in Tay Ninh later sentenced him to three years in jail.

Shin Jong Soo, 55, and his interpreter wept during an appeal's court hearing in Ho Chi Minh City on December 4, 2014 that ultimately reduced his sentence for killing a woman while driving under the influence of alcohol. Photo credit: An Ninh Thu Do